E30 Bmw on 2040-parts.com

New boss plans VW revolution

By Georg Kacher Motor Industry 22 November 2006 10:00 The Volkswagen Group is set for a huge shake-up, following the resignation of chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder. Product plans across all seven marques, the group brand strategy, platform sharing and costs will all be reviewed by incoming boss Martin Winterkorn, who clinched the role following Audi's stellar performance under his leadership. CAR Online can reveal that Winterkorn is likely to rip up Pischetsrieder's brand group structure, to improve communication and efficiencies.

Volvo launches plan to spread servicing costs

Volvo has launched a new website allowing owners of Volvos up to 48 months old the opportunity to purchase a Volvo Service Plan, via either a one-off payment or a fixed monthly fee. It works in a similar way to car insurance, where you have a choice of either paying monthly or upfront. The pre-paid service plans cover any service carried out on Volvos up to six years of age and up to a maximum of ten scheduled services.

Spoken street names useful in navigation units, magazine says

If you're in the market for a portable navigation unit, features such as spoken street names and reality view/lane assist are worth the money while traffic information, connected services and voice recognition are not as essential, says Consumer Reports magazine. Less expensive navigation models are even offering the service via which the unit will speak the names of streets or highway numbers rather than telling drivers to merge or turn in a specific direction. Reality view/lane assist is a feature commonly packaged as one that displays three-dimensional views of exits, signs and intersections as well as the best lane to be in for upcoming driving maneuvers.